Gulf Shores School Board passes two budgets
Gulf Shores School Board passes two budgets
By John Mullen
During its regular meeting on June 14, the Gulf Shores School Board passed two budgets, one to fund the system until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and another for the rest of 2018 from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.
The combined budgets total more than $330,000 including paying Superintendent Matt Akin more than $127,000 in salary, not including additional monthly benefits of $1,307 or a total of $10,456. Akin also gets a cell phone allowance of $75 a month for a total of $525 for June through December. He was also given a one-time payment of $10,000 to help with moving expenses. Akin’s salary and benefits package accounts for 42 percent of expenditures June 1 through Dec. 31.
Other expenses include $79,000 in legal fees, $33,012 to Dr. Suzanne Freeman for consulting work and $16,000 for financial consultant Jean McCutcheon.
To date, the City of Gulf Shores has paid nearly $503,000 to get the school system up and running including more than $33,000 in 2017 and more than $137,000 Jan. 1 through April 25.
The budget included $17,500 for central office rent but the city and the board agreed to a lease agreement of $10 per year.
In Other Action The School Board:
• Reappointed member Dale Jernigan to a five-year term on the board. The board members were originally appointed to serve one through five years with one coming up for renewal each May. Jernigan was appointed initially to a one-year term and is now on the board for the full five. Dr. Ralph Gold’s two-year term will end in May. Member Kelly Walker was appointed for three years, Nicole Gotschall for four and President Kevin Corcoran for five.
• Discussed setting up board policies and procedures by presenting different sections at meetings between now and the spring. Akin said he hopes to have them all in place by the second semester of the upcoming school year.
• Authorized Akin access to $15,000 to spend at his discretion for day-to-day operations of the system and the central office.
• Adopted a code of conduct for school board members and agreed to a copier contract with contract with Berney Office Solutions.